# scare the pants off

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/scare-the-pants-off
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To scare or startle someone thoroughly.

## Examples

- That loud noise really scared the pants off me.
- The sudden thunderclap during the movie scared the pants off everyone in the room.
- The unexpected arrival of the inspector at the office scared the pants off the employees who had been cutting corners all week.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.